Asisat Oshoala apologised to Nigerians after the Super Falcons opened the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations with a shock 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, describing the result as a "wake-up call" while insisting the Super Falcons still have time to rescue their campaign.
The defeat was arguably the biggest upset in WAFCON history and only the third time the Nigerians had lost their opening match of the tournament. The Super Falcons recovered from the previous two setbacks, against Ghana in 2002 and South Africa in 2018, to win the title both times, beating the same opponents in the final.
Oshoala said the loss was an indication of how quickly the women's game is developing across Africa
"Smaller nations are closing the gap for sure, but it's also a wake-up call for us to put in effort knowing that there are other people who actually want to win this trophy," the six-time CAF Player of the Year said.
"The only thing I can say right now is we need their support. The World Cup ticket is at stake, so this is the time when we really need everyone to support the team.
"We already know the Super Eagles didn't qualify so we know what is at stake and we know how Nigerians feel about this. We are sorry we lost this one, but the next game we will put in more effort and try to win the game."
The result means the Super Falcons now head into their next Group C match against Zambia knowing that only a win can get their campaign back on track and avoid the ignominious fate of not only exiting the tournament in the group stages, but also ending their chance of making it to the World Cup.
Despite the disappointing start, Oshoala insisted that Nigeria's campaign was far from over.
"It's still a long competition so there's still enough time for us to prepare for the next game and see how it goes," Oshoala said.
Forward Esther Okoronkwo admitted that the Super Falcons paid for a slow start, but expects the team to show a much different side against Zambia, saying the players were determined to respond on Saturday.
"Next game we're going to come back. We have to come out better than we did this game. We kind of came out like a little flat, but it is what it is," Okoronkwo said.
"We learned, we're gonna go back and learn our lesson and learn where we should fix and then come back better in the next game.
"I'll take full responsibility for it. Next game is gonna be better for sure."
Head coach Justin Madugu echoed Oshoala's assessment, also calling the defeat "a wake-up call". He admitted that his team made mistakes that proved costly, but said the defeat should force his players to sit up.
"They gave it their all, they gave their best. We made mistakes, and we got punished for those mistakes that we made," Madugu said.
"It's a wake up call for us, and we know what is still at stake, we all know the importance of this edition of the WAFCON.
"We are going back to correct those mistakes and see how we get over them and then get to the next game or next round.
"When things like this happen, everybody has his opinion. Everybody's entitled to say whatever he says. If we had won, the comments people would be making will not be the same.
"There will always be criticism and comments when things like this go wrong. We accept those things, we accept responsibility for whatever happened, and then we go back and try to work on whatever mistakes we may have noticed. We'll get it right next time.
"We never took them for granted, because we've also been following their progress. It's a testament to the development of the game across the continent. You don't take anybody for granted. Any team that qualifies for the WAFCON deserves to be respected.
"Malawi did well, they played well, and they got the result they probably worked for. So it's something that we must learn to live with and get over it and get to the next round."
One player who is taking the brunt of the flak from home is goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who played well below her usual high standards. But Madugu was quick to jump to the defence of his goalkeeper after what was an unusually difficult afternoon.
"Chiamaka is a very good player, everybody knows her exploits, both at the national team and in her club side," he said.
"In football, you can have good days and you can have bad days. Today, we'll consider it to be one of the bad days, but not only for Chiamaka, but for all of us, collectively as a team.
"She has been very outstanding in all the games we have always played. That it happened the way it happened today is one of those things, it is normal. Things like this do happen in football, and we know she will also get over it. We all take responsibility for that, and not blame one player for it.
"In 2018, we found ourselves in the same situation," he said. "We lost our first game against South Africa, and eventually we played in the finals against South Africa, and we defeated them to win a trophy in Ghana in 2018.
"So it's not something that has not happened before. It has happened before, and we strongly believe that we can overcome it."
